Machine-gun



v. GASSETTA AND F. CAPALDO.

MACHINE GUN.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 9.1919.

Patented Mar. 15, 1921.

. Z 1a 2 SHEETSSHEET 1. 2 16' Z 10 20 5 I f5 f i flu en 301's Vance/:20 C'QLSe? 562a PATENT OFFICE.

vmcENzo cAssnr'rA AND rnnncnsco cAPALDo. OF NAPLES, ITALY;

MACHINE-GUN.

To all may concern:

Be it known that we, VINoENzo (JAssE'r'rA,

a subject of the King of Italy, and residing at 15 Via S. Lucia, Naples, Italy, and FRANCESCO CArALno, a subject of the King of Italy, and residing at 15 Via S. Luc1a, Naples, Italy, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machlne-Guns, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to machine guns and it has for its object to construct a machine gun which is very simple, robust, light and apt to work in an efficient and reliable manner. I These objects are attained more particularly by a novel construction and combination of the ignition and obturation mechanism, also by a new arrangement of the firing means and by the provision of a cooling system for the gun barrel, and by a rational assemblage of the component arts of these devices, as it will hereafter e described with reference to the accompanying drawing which shows, by way of example, one constructional'form of the invention;

In these drawings Figures 1 and 1 show a ,longitudinal section of the gun with the breechblock in its closed position,

Figs. 2 and 2 are a similar view with the breechblock in the open position, while Fig 3 shows the cooling means according to the invention, these means not having been shown in the first two figures for the sake of simplicity. c

In the drawing, 1 indicates the breech of the gun and 2 is its barrel. Within the breech is slidably mounted a breechblock 3 which is controlled by a coiled spring 4 and is guided by aid of atooth 5 arranged to slide in a rectilinear slot 6. The slot 6 terminates in a helicoidal notch adapted to cause a short rotary motion of the breechblock at the end of its forward travel and to lock the same when the gun is fired through the frictional resistance produced by it, while it will leave the breechblock free to move rearward after the firing. The breechblock 3 incloses the firing pin 7 which is controlled by a coiled spring 8 and is provided with cylindrical guides 9 and with a rod 10 which projects rearwardly from the -breechblock.

-A hammer 11 is fulcrumed at 12 and has connected with it at 13 a rod 14: which is Specification of Letters Patent.

31 communicates Patented Mar. 15, 1921.

Application'flled July 9, 1919. Serial No. 309,573.

secured to a plunger 15 controlled by a 4 spring 16. The head 17 of the hammer 11 strikes against the rod 10 of the firing pin 7 when the breechblock has closed and urges.

the latter forward to explode the cartridge. When the breechblock recoils after the gun has been fired, it will cause the hammer 11 to rotate downward so as to compress the spring 16." As soon as the breechblock is driven forward again by the action of the spring 4, the hammer 11 bounds upward and its head 17 strikes against the firing pin 7 so as to explode a second cartridge.

18 and 19 indicate openings for the provision of a loader of the stationary type and for the removal of the shellsrespectively, while 20 is the ejector and 21 the extractor.

The trigger 22 is substantially of U-shape and is located in a recess 23 provided between the handle 24 and the rear end of the breech. The trigger is rotatably mounted at 25 and connected by means of a rod 26 with a bell-crank 27 intended to operate a sear 28 which is fulcrumed, at 29 and controlled by a. spring 30.

To move the breechblock 3 manually alever may be employed to act on a lug projecting from the tooth 5 of the breechblock.

To cool the barrel 2,.a metal shell 31 is arranged around the barrel. (Fig. 3) in spaced relation therewith andextends from. the forward end of the barrel until the front part of thebreech 1 to which it is secured in any desired or appropriate way. The air space 32 between the barrel and the shell with the outside air through holes 33 provided near the mouth of the barrel and at its rear end with a chamber 34 which houses a fan This fan 35 is caused to rotate by the explosion gases which are conducted from a point of the barrel toward the fan by means of a tube 36. When firing, the explosion gases will cause the fan 35 to work so that it will suckup fresh air from the outside through the holes 33 and this air will pass along the air space 32 and be ejected through a hole 37, whereby the barrel will be efiiciently cooled down. It is evident that when the speed of firing grows, the cooling action of the air will be correspondingly increased.

It will readily be understood that the constructional details as above set forth may be varied in many ways without departing from the spirit of the invention.

from, the breech-block will be closed, loading l the gunand permittingthe hammer to be actuated,the recoil opening the; breech, the

7 pinmounted in the breech-block, the'breech" being formed: with hammer chamber, a I hammer pivotally mounted therein for actuformed, with a chamber, a breech-block mounted in the cluunber, a firing pin carried thereby, means in the chamber for closin the' breech-bloclnthe breech being forum with asecond chamber, a scar mounted there- 1 in, a handle mounted on the end of the breech 2. A machine gun: including formed with a breech-block chamber, a y breech-block slidably mounted therein, a firi having a recess therein, atriggermountedin l 10 overturnedend adapted to conformte the shape of the recess insaid handle, connections between the triggerand sear, a hams mer mounted in said secoml-mentioned' chamber, means mounted therein for open. I ating the hammer, said means being cont trolled by the -breech-block, and, the breech being formed for loading, and ejecting .whereby when the sear which normally holds the recess in the handlehaving an elongated the breech-block open is disengaged :there-,

subsequent operation being by recoil as long as the sear is held outof engagementwith the breech-block.

ing pinmounted in the breech block, means for closing the breech block, the breech be ing formed with a hammer chambeiga hammer pivotally mounted therein, a plunger mounted in the chamber, a spring interposed between the plunger and a portion of the hammer chamber, a link connecting the plunger with the hammer, a scar, and a trigger connected thereto, where-by the-sear will hold the breeclrblock open, said closing means forcing it closed when released from the scar, and being opened by recoil, the spring operating the plunger to cause the hammer to engage the firing pin when the breech-block closes and being compressed by the opening of the breech-block through the hammer and link.

3. A machine gun including a breech formed with a breech-block chamber, a breech-block slidably mounted therein, a firbreech l a breech 1 chamber engaging the plunger and a ing pin mounted in the breech-block, a spring for closing the breech-block mounted in the breech-block chamber, the breech being formed with a hammer chamber, a hammer pivotally mounted therein, a plunger mounted in the chamber, a springinterposed between the plunger and a portion of the hammer chamber, a link connecting the plunger with the hammer, a sear and a trig- I the hammer toengage: the firing pin when the breecl'iblock closes and is compressed by Y 4. A machine gun including a breech pformed 'i with i a: bi'eeclvblock chamber, af breech-block 'slidalily mounted therein, means, for closingthe breech block, means for holding said breech-block open, a firing finedin said chamber, a plunger jslidabl mounted in the hammer'chamber, a lint connecting the plunger and hammer, and

resilient :means mounted in the hammer y portlon of 'Silld' hammer chamber whereby breech-block open, the first-mentioned means will close the breech-block when the second means releases it, the hammer being actuated to strike the firing pm by the resilient means thrtmgh the plunger and link in the closing of the breech-block, said resilient means being compressed in the opening of the breechblolgk by recoil through the hannner and lin VINCENZO CASSETTA.

FRANCESCO CAPALDO.

In the presence of- ANGELO PUGLIESE, CORELLI METCALF.

the second-mentioned means will hold the,

I 65 the "F ng of the breech-block through the I hammer and link. g 

